I’m Learning the Secret to Motivation and Productivity…It’s Not Easy
I am driven and often focused on the goal. Often to the point that I try to skip the journey.
I want to appear at the finish line magically. But that’s not how it works.
I tend to set a big goal for myself. But, since a process requires consistent daily tasks, I fight the journey.
No one epitomizes embracing the process like Michael Jordan. He focused on the path of hard work to the point of obsession.
He even had the awareness to understand that hard work may not lead to success. The below quotes give a good understanding of his mindset:
“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
“I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.”
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Michael was able to look at failure as a starting point to build upon rather than an endpoint. Instead of being afraid of failure, he embraced it as part of the path to greatness.
The disdain I often have for the process is because of a fear of failure. What if I write a book and no one wants it. What if I shoot a film and it’s terrible.
The reality is that firsts typically stink. The first book might suck. The first film will likely be terrible. But, it’s a learning opportunity.
If we embrace the journey and focus on working hard no matter the outcome, the results will come. I’m beginning to embrace the path.
The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried
— Stephen McCranie
FOOTNOTES
- Check out this quite excellent article covering Michael Jordan’s mindset. It provided some great insights.
